Chicken Fajita Lettuce Wraps

These are deliciousness! They are from the 21 Day Fix Extreme Meal Plan book. They are simple yet so filling. I changed the seasonings up a little bit from the recipe in the book. These really were so delicious and I cannot wait to make them again.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper garlic
• 2 tsp olive oil
• 1 grilled boneless, skinless, chicken breast
• 1/2 pepper slicked
• 1/2 onion chopped
• 2 large romain lettuce leaves
• 1/2 medium avocado, thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup salsa
• 1/4 cup black beans
• lemon wedge for garnish 

Directions: 

1. Grill chicken and cut up.
2. Combine salt, pepper garlic seasoning, onions and peppers and saute with olive oil in a saucepan. Add lime juice. cook for a few minutes until onions and peppers are starting to brown
3. Wash black beans and add to saucepan with the onions and peppers .
4. Cut up avocado
5. Clean romaine lettuce and place on a dish.
6. Once onions and pepper melody is cooked, Place mixture over lettuce and add chicken on top
7. Add salsa, and avocado to the top.

21 Day Fix and 21 Day Fix Extreme Approved Container Equivalents:

• 2 Green
• 1/2 Purple
• 1 Red
• 1/2 Blue
• Optional: 1 Yellow (added black beans)

Hope you all can enjoy this as much as I did! 

Have a Happy and Healthy Day

~Nicole

Make Yourself Proud

Today I had the honor of chatting live on The Mickey Ellison Show. It is something that when I tell you is completely out of my comfort zone and so not something I would normally do, it absolutely is. But I love a good challenge and when Mickey reached out to me about sharing my story, I may have been a little nervous but I took it as a sign that I needed to break out of my shell! I am such a introvert and talking about myself and being in front of a lot of people scares me. I mean technically no one saw me and Mickey and I were just talking but it still freaked me out a little. I mean once I am doing it, I loosen up and get in the groove of the conversation. 

I haven't really publicly, verbally shared my story. I mean don't get me wrong, I share my story all the time through social media but to actually talk to someone about my story...eeks that scares me but it also excites me. 

Sharing my story is a very personal thing and sometimes I am ashamed of where I have come from but at the same time, I am so proud of how far I have come. Sharing my story today has been an absolute blessing. I listened to the recording and I have to say that I had to stop it about a quarter of a way in. I seriously had a moment. I couldn't believe that I was actually sharing my story on a live podcast. I thought back to the girl who was 220 pounds, overweight, unhealthy, unhappy, not loving of herself and most of all broken. But as I listened to this confident person who was speaking her story, I for a second, had tears in my eyes. It was one of those moments where I still can't believe how far I have come and how many lives that I have changed.

I have lost 70 pounds, maintained my weight loss, competed in two triathlons, a half marathon, a 65 mile bike race, countless other shorter running races and I continue to strive to be better everyday than I was the day before. It truly is amazing to me how far I have come. I am not writing this to toot my own horn but to share how proud I am of myself. Never in a million years did I think that I would be where I am today. 

You never really embrace the journey or celebrate it, well at least I never did. But today listening to the recording and even when we ended the show, I was fired up. I was proud of myself. I was proud that I did something that I never thought I would do. I was proud that I overcame an obstacle. I was proud that I never gave up. I am proud of who I have become. But most of all I am proud to be me! 

I tend to overlook my accomplishments, chalk them up to happening but it's sometimes nice to share how amazing the journey has been. The struggles, the accomplishments, how I plan on helping others. I want you to MAKE YOURSELF PROUD everyday! I know today, I can truly go to bed completely and wholeheartedly proud of myself. Embrace the journey and NEVER GIVE UP!

Check out the recording below and hear my journey! 

Recording of My Weight Loss Journey on The Mickey Ellison Show

Shakeology and Weight Watchers

As some of you know, my weight loss journey started almost 4 years ago with weight watchers! With weight watchers, I lost 70 pounds in about 9 months! My goal after that was to maintain my weight loss. In the past, I had lost weight and then gained it back. I hit a serious plateau while I was training for my second triathlon a year after I had lost lose 70 pounds. My fear of gaining weight back was crazy and when I wasn't getting the results I wanted, I needed to make a change. Weight watchers had taught me portion control and how to eat in moderation!

You know how you see those infomercials on tv about p90x and insanity, etc. well one night, I was channel checking and I saw both infomercials. It caught my attention with the transformation stories and pictures. Since I felt like I was in good shape, I did my research about each program! Don't get me wrong, I was scared to do a crazy hard workout at home. I was introduced to something called shakeology. For those of you who don't know, shakeology is a healthy meal replacement that has super foods, vitamins, and so much more! It has become a staple in my life. I have never missed a day of drinking shakeology.

When I first started drinking shakeology, I was still doing weight watchers, I was following the point system which was so amazing! Like I said before, it taught me everything in moderation, portion control, and ultimately a healthier lifestyle....the best part about it is shakeology is only 3 points for the healthiest meal that you could have. That 3 points for a scoop of shakeology (1 meal). You can mix it with anything you want. The options are endless! You could add water or almond milk & water, orange juice and water or you could blend in frozen fruit, and so many more things. You can keep it s low point meal but it's truly the healthiest meal you could feed yourself.

Chocolate  = 3 points
Greenberry = 3 points
Tropical Strawberry = 3 points
Chocolate Vegan = 4 points
Vanilla = 3 points
Strawberry= 3 pounts

Looking back, on my own weight loss journey, I really wish I could go back in time and could have learned about shakeology and started drinking it from the beginning! I think it would have been such a significant change in my overall health and well-being. I mean 3 points for the healthiest meal of the day...sign me up!!

I wanted to give you a few examples of recipes and how many points you could make your shake:

Chocolate Peanut Butter Shakeology

1 scoop Chocolate Shakeology (3 points)

8 oz. unsweetened almond milk (1 point)

2 tbsp. PB2 (1 point)

1 medium banana

6 ice cubes

Blend together until smooth.

Total Points Plus value……….5

Pineapple Mango Shakeology

1 scoop Vanilla Shakeology (3 points)

8 oz. unsweetened almond milk (1 point)

1/2 cup pineapple

1/2 cup mango

6 ice cubes

Blend together till smooth.

Total Points Plus value………4"

Have you ever wondered about shakeology? Is it something that you may have wanted to try but just aren't sure?? Have you been questioning how shakeology can be incorporated in with your weight watchers points program. I want to help you see the amazing benefits that you can gain from shakeology and doing weight watchers, both at the same time!

If you are interested, fill out the form below! I will contact you on how I can help you along in your weight loss journey! 

Hope that this helped to clear some questions some of you have on shakeology and weight watchers points! Have a Happy and Healthy Day!!

Nicole <3

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Turkey Meatloaf: 21 Day Fix Extreme Approved

On Sundays, I meal prep and this past sunday, I wasn't sure what I wanted to make for dinners this week. I was browsing through the 21 day fix extreme eating plan guide when I came across this recipe and decided to give it a shot. I was able to prep it in advance and after work, I was able to just put it in the oven and everything I needed to done! I have meals for the entire week and yes it might be a little redundant but you know what anything to get me closer to my goals!

Ingredients:

• 2lbs raw 93% lean ground turkey
• 1 cup all-natural salsa
• 1 cup cooked quinoa, cooled
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten 
• 3 cloves of galic
• 1 tsp sea salt or himalayan salt (mineralized)
• 1 tsp ground black pepper 

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375
2. Combine turkey, salsa, quinoa, eggs, garlic, salt and pepper in a large bowl; mix well with hands or a spatula 
3. shape mixture into shape of a loaf and place on ungreased 13 x 9-inch baking pan
4. bake for 60-70 mins or until center is no longer pink and meat is cooked through
5. let stand for 10 minutes before serving

21 Day Fix / 21 Day Fix Extreme Container Equivalents:

• 1 Red
• 1/2 Purple
• 1/2 Yellow

I served this with a side of spaghetti squash and mushrooms with some homemade marinara. (2 Greens and 1/2 purple).  This was absolutely delicious and I really cant wait to make it again! :)

Hope you enjoy this delicious! 

Nicole <3

21 Day Fix Extreme RESULTS

It really is crazy how fast time flies. I feel like it was yesterday that I started 21 Day Fix Extreme and finished 60 days of Insanity Max 30. I am so excited with my results. I have to say this is the first time that I have 98% stuck with my nutrition. I did not cheat other than day 13 when my cousin got married. but hey the rum punch was amazeballs and I of course had to try the cake!! 

Even if I didn't lose a significant amount of weight, I will have gained so much more these last 21 days. The growth and progress that I have made in such a short time really has set me up for amazing success.

For starters: I AM COMPLETELY COFFEE CREAMER FREE! Like not even a drop of coffee creamer at all! Today being that I am on day 22 and no longer am doing round 1, a friend of mine asked, girl did you have your coffee with creamer today...my response was absolutely not! you know what it wasn't worth it!I actually started liking my coffee black! I never in a million years thought that I the coffee creamer addict would actually kicked of her delicious addiction!

Here is how I want to break down how amazing the last 21 days were:
✔down 8 pounds 
✔lost 5.5 inches
✔feel healthier
✔my skin feels better 
✔22 days with no coffee creamer
✔more confidence
✔tighter and toned, I feel leaner and just overall amazing!
✔I do have a ways to go but this is just round 1...round 2 starts tomorrow!
✔super proud of myself for only cheating one day out of the 21 days...I know my results could have been better if I didn't, but hey, my cousin got married and I had some rum punch and cake! It didn't kill me, it make me happy!
✔I completely cleaned up my nutrition and I think this program and its values will stick with me forever! I feel amazing and why would I want to change that?
✔I never thought I would be able to do a program like this and completely dial in clean eating nutrition!! But you know what I accepted the challenge and surprised myself at how well I did! Was it easy...heck no! was it worth it...heck yes! 

So you might be asking, what is next for me? well I am so glad you asked! today I had what I like to call a "reward" day. so like a cheat day or cheat meal, I am rewarding myself for the hard work. I have been craving a big burger and french fries! I have to say that I don't normally have hamburgers! So tonight, I treated myself to Red Robin and had a delicious whisky bbq burger with french fries, and on my way home, I stopped at Friendly's and had some ice cream! Go big or go home right?!?! thats my theory! 

Today was amazing to splurge a little but hey its time to get back to work and get my butt in gear! Cant wait to start round 2 tomorrow and completely kill it! :) No excuses, just results!

Have you ever considered working hard and seeing amazing results! Join my next accountability group, it starts march 9th! Dont miss out!! Fill out the application below! I am choosing 10 beautiful ladies to join us! will you be on of them?

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21 Day Fix Extreme Testimonial: Week 2 Progress

Week 2 of 21 day fix extreme is in the books! I really can't believe how fast time is flying! This program is no joke and it's all focus! I could sit here and joke about how easy it is but its not easy! It truly tests you mentally and physically! I have not had my beloved French vanilla creamer in 14 Days! This right there in itself is a huge accomplishment! This program tests your fitness ability, nutritionally and mentally! I have never been this sore in I can't remember his long! You think you are in good shape until you do something new that challenges you to a whole new limit!

I love a good challenge and I had all intentions of staying on track! But this week kinds threw me for a little curve ball! I am on vacation in Florida. Yesterday my cousin got married! It eventually turned out to be a great day after a few huge hiccups! With that being said, I completely went off the 21 day fix extreme meal plan yesterday! I will say I tried to set myself up for success but yesterday was the only day of the 21 day fix extreme that I will be failing! I drank a lot of rum punch, ate cake, and enjoyed myself! You know what everything in moderation! You know what it wasn't the plan, but it's just how it worked! Time to get back on track and stay focused for week 3!! Can't wait to see my amazing results! I have worked hard and this week coming up, I am 110% dialed into my nutrition! No excuses, just results! A minor set back of lots of rum punch and unclean maybe a little unhealthy food warrants a big comeback!

With my little set back I do want to say that I stayed completely on track and completely on track leading up to yesterday! I knew that I would be jumping off the deep end and wanted to completely set myself up for success! Life throws you curve balls, and you have a choice, you can swing or you can watch the ball go past you! I choose to swing the bad and see where the curve lands! 

This week because I am on vacation, I had the honor of being able to workout with my dad. He joined me for my workouts each days and I really have to say, it was nice to have my workout buddy. I love that I can share my passion for working out and living a healthy lifestyle with my family! My dad is my biggest cheerleader, motivator, and always is up for a challenge when I give him one! A family that workouts together stays together. Now our mission is to get my mom doing the 21 day fix. He and I have been plotting on how they are going to get her doing it. They are going to do it together. Meal plan, meal prep, and workout together. It really warms my heart when I hear how motivated he is to help her and do this with her. In September they will be married for 30 years. I love that they can cheer each other on and motivate each other to continue to lead healthier lifestyles. A couple that workouts and leads a healthy lifestyle together, stays together! 

Week 3 focus:
✔️drink 150ml water
✔️follow meal plan
✔️never give up
✔️stretch more
✔️daily personal development and positive affirmations
✔️finish strong!

Meal Plan Week 2: 21 Day Fix Extreme

Hope you all have a happy and healthy day! 

Nicole

Why the Scale Lies!

Did anyone ever tell you that the scale lies? We all have our hang ups. We all have those moments where we just get so down and depressed when we jump on the scale and either it didn't drop or the dreaded weight gain.  You work so hard day in and day out and then you just want to see a slight change in the number on scale or no change at all. it can be disheartening and it can make you want to give up.

What I am here today to tell you is the scale does not define you. It lies. It doesn't tell you how amazing you are. How beautiful your are. How amazingly perfectly imperfect you are. That's right you are perfectly imperfect in your own way. If the scale were to talk, I would hope it would tell me that I am beautiful, perfect just the way I am, I wish it would tell my weight loss story, I am strong, I am healthy, I am happy. Since the scale doesn't talk back and say these amazing things, I have been trying daily to remind myself of these positive affirmations!

We give way too much credit to a "number". A number that defines most people's happiness. But when did a number become so important? Have we forgotten about looking in the mirror and loving our selves? Have we forgot about those amazing non-scale victories that we achieve every day no matter how big or small they are?

I really actually hate the scale! Originally I lost 70 pounds and had maintained that weight loss for 3 years but as I changed up my workout routine and eating cleaner, I gained 20 pounds....I could have thrown the towel in and said screw it, but I took a good look in the mirror and you know what I may have packed on a few extra pounds but I also built muscle. Yes I went up 20 pounds but It didn't look like it! If I let the scale win and define me, I would be sitting on the couch with Oreo cookies, a milkshake and a bag of chips with a side of Ben and Jerry's ice cream wallowing  in my sorrows of gaining weight all because the scale told me I gained weight. Which writing that out, that sure does sound like an amazing reward day! But I didn't feel like I gained 20 pounds. I feel amazing! I have never felt stronger, more athletic, and in shape. So why if I feel like I am the best I have ever been, do I get down about seeing that number on the scale?

I think that society says that we have to look a certain way, we have to be a certain weight based off of our height, etc. but did they ever consider that sometimes those "expectations" are  tough to achieve. We have this idea from media that we need to be skinny, and have a super model body but that unrealistic. We all have different body types, shapes, hormonal imbalances,  and genes. So why is they we strive to have the scale at such a low number? Why can't we empower each other to just lead a healthier lifestyle? A healthier lifestyle that includes not focusing on the scale and focusing on ourselves and the progress we have made. Our journeys and stories are constantly being written, focusing on how far we have come and not focusing on how far we have to go, could make for more positive results!

Someone the other day said to me, well I am disappointed that I only lost 1.4 pounds last week! I had to take a few minutes to gather my thoughts! I was so excited for her but she told me that she wasn't happy. We women put so much emphasis on the scale and how that "number" that it consumes us. My response to her was "girl, 1.4 pounds thats amazing! That's 1.4 pounds that you don't have! Congrats on that small accomplishment! Refocus this week and focus on something new, your nutrition or drinking enough water! You got this!" I think we forget (and I am totally guilty of this) how long it took to put the weight on. We want instant results, we want to drop 5 pounds now as your reading this! We want to wake up and poof the weight is gone and we are in shape and lead healthier lifestyles. But the reality of it, we need to work hard to see results! Sitting on the couch is not going to get the results we want! Get up and workout and eating right is the only way your going to see results. Focusing on a number that defines so many of us and not in s good way is not going to get those results we want. Hard work, dedication, sweat, tears, laughter, preparation, meal planning and prepping, FOCUS, determination, motivation and most of all CONSISTENCY are what will get you the results you want.

I think women would have more confidence and end up leading healthier lives if the scale said things like:

Way to go keep up the good work!
Look at you, sexy mama!
Your do beautiful!
Remember to smile, it's a beautiful day!
Hey there sexy!
Keep pushing play!

But instead of wishing for the scale to say this, tell yourself on a daily basis these positive affirmations! There is nothing wrong with telling yourself that you a beautiful and you are perfectly imperfect! I tell myself everyday!

As I come to a close with this post, I am writing this from 35,000ft in the air flying to Florida, I want you all to remember that you don't need the scale to define yourself!  You are better than the scale! And remember I told you the scale lies...it does. It doesn't tell you how amazing you are and how you have come so far and your doing a great job! So you don't have a good day and the scale goes up! So who fucking cares! Big deal. Refocus, regroup, and remember everyday is a new beginning, a fresh start, a new day to get it right! Don't let the scale define who you are!

My goal is to help just one lady realize that the scale doesn't define you! Remember that you are beautiful no matter what shape or size you are! We are all perfectly imperfect in our own ways. I do ask one thing, if you found this helpful or could relate, share it with someone else who might benefit from it! We all struggle in our own ways but why not empower each other to not focus so much in a number but to focus on ourselves and how amazing our own health and fitness journeys are!

Have a happy and healthy day! 

Nicole